David Wardlaw-Ramsay

Lieutenant-Commander David Wardlaw-Ramsay (11 June, 1890 – 11 March, 1924) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Wardlaw-Ramsay had some Chinese language skills and was to take a preliminary test if the opportunity arose for such in 1912.

Wardlaw-Ramsay was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1912.

Great War

Shortly after being passed over for a navigation course, Wardlaw-Ramsay was appointed to the battleship Hercules on 2 September, 1913 and fought in her at the Battle of Jutland. Though he'd applied for command of a destroyer, Wardlaw-Ramsay left Hercules upon being appointed in command of the sweeping sloop Daphne on 20 May, 1917. He served as her captain through the end of the war, being lent to Victory for a minesweeping course on 4 February, 1918.

Post-War

Wardlaw-Ramsay was appointed in command of the gunboat Scarab on 18 February, 1919. She would conduct operations on the Yangtze under his command, perhaps offering him a chance to put his Chinese skills to use. On 31 October, 1919, he left the ship to go to the International Hospital in Hankow. He would repeat this on 16 January, 1920 in Shanghai.

Wardlaw-Ramsay was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1920.

In December 1921, he was admitted to Plymouth Hospital for gastrointestinal problems. He was appointed to the sweeping sloop Magnolia on 18 October, 1922, to take command upon joining her. Though he had never had anything negative written in his service record, his postwar career suddenly nosedived. On 21 January, 1923, the Commander-in-Chief, China sent a telegram to the Admiralty reporting that Wardlaw-Ramsay had been hospitalised for excessive drinking and that he regarded it as "quite impossible that he should remain in command of Magnolia", though he was doubtful that a conviction at a Court Martial could be speedily obtained. Accordingly, on the 27th, Wardlaw-Ramsay was appointed to the light cruiser Durban, additional, vice James. He remained there until an agreement was reached that he should retire with a gratuity. He was placed on the Retired List at his own request upon his relief on 1 December, 1923.

Wardlaw-Ramsay died just three months later, in Paris on 11 March, 1924, reported in The Times on the 17th.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Roland A. Clark	Captain of H.M.S. Daphne 20 May, 1917 – 18 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by Robert R. Hallowell-Carew
Preceded by R. C. Primrose	Captain of H.M.S. Scarab 18 Feb, 1919 – 11 Apr, 1921	Succeeded by Alexander G. B. Wilson
Preceded by Maitland W. S. Boucher	Captain of H.M.S. Leamington 15 Dec, 1921 – 18 Oct, 1922	Succeeded by Russell Lister-Kaye
Preceded by Basil R. Brooke	Captain of H.M.S. Magnolia 18 Oct, 1922 – 27 Jan, 1923	Succeeded by Victor E. Ward